Cluster headache differential diagnosis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Saumya Easaw, M.B.B.S.[2]
Differentiating Cluster Headache from other Diseases
Differential of cluster headache usually involves syndromes that manifest as unilateral headache, brief but frequent attacks. Such syndromes include the following:
- Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) is a condition similar to cluster headache, but CPH responds well to treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. With CPH, the attacks are much shorter, often lasting only seconds.[1]
- Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNCT and SUNA)
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Primary stabbing headache
- Headache associated with an underlying intracranial lesion